Sub-navigation

State and federal governments need to work together towards clean, reliable and affordable energy

21 November, 2017

The renewable energy industry has called on all state and territory governments to work together in good faith with the Federal Government at this week’s COAG Energy Council meeting to explore the potential of the proposed National Energy Guarantee (NEG) to deliver clean, reliable and affordable energy.

Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said it was important this week’s meeting of the COAG Energy Council agreed to commence the detailed policy analysis and design of the NEG.

“With very limited detail in the current proposal, only a substantial analysis and design process will fill in the gaps and allow the energy industry to more fully consider the policy and its potential to drive new investment,” Mr Thornton said.

“This important work needs to be progressed in a spirit of cooperation between all COAG Energy Council members. This is a complex policy and there is a lot of detail to work through before it can be fully evaluated.

“Any chance of this policy succeeding will be put at risk by the states walking away at this early stage of the process – or if the Federal Government continues to insult state governments who are leading by example and showing that renewable energy can deliver a reliable and affordable electricity system.

“Australians want more cheap, clean energy and it is in the interests of the state and federal governments to end the energy wars and help to deliver what people continually say they want,” he said.

In terms of the policy itself, Mr Thornton confirmed the renewable energy industry remained open minded. There is considerable detail to explore before the clean energy industry could have the confidence that this policy will be effective in underpinning new investment in energy generation.

“We look forward to the COAG Energy Council agreeing to proceed with this detailed work and we will continue to engage constructively with the Energy Security Board and the Federal Government on the potential merits and design of the policy.”